Ukip tops poll as Nigel Farage weathers the storm

YouGov survey sparks panic as Tories come third

Can nothing stop the march of Nigel Farage? The Ukip leader is ending a difficult week on a high as his party comes top of a poll for the first time.

The YouGov poll ahead of the EU elections puts his party on 31%, three points clear of Labour, with the Tories languishing on a fragile 19 points.

The news follows seven days of controversy over the extremist views of some Ukip candidates, questions over Farage’s employment of his German wife and accusations of a racist poster campaign. Yet Ukip appear to have weathered the storm, prompting panic among rival parties.

David Cameron has received a second blow as the former Tory donor now backing Ukip indicates he will continue to bankroll the party for the next general election. This will boost Farage’s hopes of winning a seat at Westminster for the first time.

“I’m not giving up,” said the donor, Paul Sykes. “That will warn the Conservatives what’s going to happen. We will get more democracy in Britain if it skints [sic] me.”

However, it is believed that David Cameron will refuse to make any further concessions to Eurosceptics despite the developments. As pressure grows on him from backbenchers, the prime minister has privately vowed to not give an inch on Europe, even if his party is humiliated at the European polls.

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Submitted by davies on April 27, 2014 - 8:56am.

Ha Ha Ha. So much for the concerted efforts of the 3 failed parties and their media lapdogs. Many people have now realized what a hopeless traitorous bunch the rest are and frankly if you put an organ grinders monkey with a placard round its neck describing any faintly sensible policy it would get the votes simply in protest. And the more they try to denigrate UKIP the more people realise they must be on the right track supporting UKIP.

Submitted by ymbhweorfnes on April 27, 2014 - 2:23pm.

The dirty tricks brigade have failed, just like they did last year.

They are empty vessels. They have lost the argument and even their smear tactics no longer work.

Can't you respect someone's choice? Or is that the UKIP way of putting them down, confirming in the process that UKIP are a bunch of bigots.That, my friend, is what you've just done. Defend UKIP by all means but honourably please and certainly not with a chip on your shoulder.

Submitted by b.edwards on April 27, 2014 - 10:34pm.

'Can't you respect someone's choice? Or is that the UKIP way of putting them down, confirming in the process that UKIP are a bunch of bigots.'...do you actually see the hypocrisy in your comment?

Submitted by Patrick Gearon on April 27, 2014 - 10:58pm.

Yes I do see it but I live with it. However lets' not make hypocrite the new buzz word to replace racist hey? We are all both, so what's the point?Many comments posted are bait, used to incite UKIP into incriminating themselves. Now I happen to agree with what you said but how you responded to an almost meaningless statement showed a bullying bigoted response which is precisely what, I feel, mk wanted.It's a trap and a very clever one too. That is the point I wish to make otherwise In support what you're saying

Submitted by turnedferal on April 28, 2014 - 12:58am.

European union is a large corporate agenda, UKIP haven't been assimilated into the machine yet.

Submitted by amphibious on April 28, 2014 - 8:53am.

So, this 'storm' of which you wrote, .. big tea cup was it? WHat seems to have occurred is ideas and attitudes and opinions aired by all sorts of people and media did what media does. The rest is vox pop.

Submitted by de on April 28, 2014 - 5:32pm.

You forgot their bizarre refusal to vote against the awful ivory trade. "Six Ukip MEPS, including leader Nigel Farage, have come under heavy criticism after it emerged they had voted ‘No’ to a resolution that would help prevent the illegal trade of ivory in Europe". Fidiots - much as I dislike Brussells self serving job creation bureacracy at times...UKIP are out for that amoral stance. End of.